Ashigara's Victory Division
by AstraphU
Summary: The tale of Raiushima's main attack force, in the eve of the base's first large-scale operation.
1. I - Ashigara

**I  
** **Ashigara**

Putting on the rigging was never an easy task. Even destroyers were rarely able to suit up on their own, their 'lightweight' equipment already too cumbersome to allow freedom of movement or be comfortably carried around on dry land. For cruisers and heavier shipgirls, the process was simply impossible without external help. Armour, guns, torpedo launchers, radio equipment, plane catapults and many, many other modules had to be assembled quickly and precisely, often in places just out of their owner's reach.

Luckily, engineering fairies were always at the ready. Some shipgirls thought their help was not only necessary, but also carried a lot of symbolism; Tone once compared them to squires, who used to help medieval knights or samurai get ready for battle. Their hull, she liked to say, was no different to steel armour used by heroes of the past. Some had a more utilitarian approach, merely recognizing the necessity and not thinking much about it.

Regardless of interpretation, this was the only way for their equipment to be useable. And that's why Ashigara always made sure to share a plate of curry with the fairies each time she had kitchen duty.

"Ready!" a pink-haired pixie flew up in front of Ashigara's face, giving her a thumbs up.

The cruiser stepped out of the scaffold, dozens of kilograms in equipment weighing her down. Each step was a struggle against gravity, making the short walk to the slipway all but a pleasant one. Every time she was surprised the concrete beneath her boots didn't crack and crumble with each step.

A short slide later she splashed onto the water, joining Sazanami and Suzukaze. Propulsion boots sank in - and suddenly her body felt light again. Slowly propelling forward, she made room for the rest of the squadron to deploy. Nachi sled first, speeding up as soon as she touched the surface. Myokou joined next, her moves elegant and calm. Haguro turned up last, almost losing balance and tipping over. Ashigara acted on instinct to rush for help, but stopped midway, seeing her little sister quickly regain composure. Covering embarrassment with a nervous laughter, Haguro took her position at the formation's end.

Concrete walls and ceiling contrasted with brightly lit, azure sky outside. Ashigara extended her hand towards the picturesque seascape, mentally preparing for her favourite part of each launch. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath:

"All right then! Ashigara Victory Division, sortieing! Form on me, onwards to victory!"

Six shipgirls darted outside, tropical sun sparkling on calm waters. The squadron formed a double line, with Ashigara and Suzukaze leading the way. Foam sprayed behind them, lush slopes of Raiushima getting more and more distant with every second.

Other shipgirls watched their departure from breakwater's top, waving and cheering. Ashigara spun around to face them for a second, shouting on top of her lungs:

"We'll bring you victory! Don't you dare celebrate without us!"

* * *

Tales about the Sixth Destroyer Division's shenanigans were numerous, long and full of silly adventures - but one thing about the Akatsuki quartet was undeniable; intelligence collected by their expeditions was always on point. Just like today; the Abyssal convoy was exactly where Hibiki's reports indicated.

"Looks pretty serious" Myokou turned her gaze away from the formation and pinned her binoculars back to the rigging.

"Twelve transports, with cruiser and destroyer escort. Just as the girls' report said!" Ashigara's grin was just below the 'too predatory to feel comfortable around' level.

"Know thy enemy and know thyself, and you shall never suffer defeat" Nachi had a rare knack for making cheesy proverbs sound pretty inspiring. "The question is, how shall we use our knowledge now?"

"Barge in 'n blow 'em up to bits!" Suzukaze punched the air in front of her in a comically elaborate attempt at some martial choreography. Sazanami stood next to her, absent-mindedly browsing something on her phone.

"I-I think that might be too dangerous..."

"Indeed it might be, nee-chan," for a split of second Ashigara's expression softened as she send a reasurring smile to Haguro, "and that's why we need to strike hard and fast!"

Her expression returned to a bloodthirsty grin before she even finished the sentence, gaze turned back towards the tiny dots on the horizon.

"No time for subtleties, then" Nachi cracked her knuckles. "I like it"

"You two are always so worryingly restless..." Myokou shook her head in a mildly convincing attempt at disapproval.

"Oh you know me all too well, nee-san!" smirked Ashigara, devouring the convoy with her eyes.

"If not me, then who else should?"

"Excuse me, can we just start...?! _Please_...?!" Suzukaze was going wild, her dance around the cruisers getting more and more frantic with every passing second, as Sazanami closed the flap and hid the device in a waterproof pouch by her belt.

They managed to navigate the majority of the distance to the convoy undetected. Even a spotter plane launched by Myokou managed not to get noticed by the Abyssals. Adrenaline rushed in Ashigara's veins, her heart beat with excitement. The heat of battle was closing - and the scorching feeling burnt her soul. Fifteen kilometres. Fourteen. Thirteen. Eleven… Ten.

"Torpedoes, fire!" she commanded, making one last check with her rangefinder. She and Haguro turned right. Behind them, Myokou and Nachi swerved to the left, with each destroyer joining a different pair. Hip mounted launchers lowered to horizontal position, their payload dropping into water with a loud splash.

"Fire at will!"

The cruisers' guns roared into life. Using data relayed by Myokou, they adjusted their aim - and the second salvo hit its target. An Abyssal heavy cruiser jerked to the side, slowing down and breaking from the formation.

"Destroyers, flank them and launch a second salvo! Then you are free to engage any marauders as you please, but stay out of harm's way! Remember the raiding lessons!"

"Alrighty then!" Suzukaze turned sharply. With the corner of her eye, Ashigara saw Sazanami mirror the maneuver, heading to the convoy's opposite side.

In front of them the Abyssal cruisers made desperate attempts to regroup, but with synchronized salvos making keeping them at bay. the task became nigh-impossible. The transports accelerated, trying to make the most of the time bought by their escorts.

"Please hit!" Haguro yelled, firing a full broadside. One Abyssal cruiser suffered a direct hit, explosions engulfing its deformed frame.

"Lookin' good!" Ashigara licked her lips. The taste of naval battle - salt and gunpowder soot, spiced up by the sharp aroma of steel and oil - was almost as good as curry back home.

The battle got decided roughly around the moment torpedoes hit their mark.

A line of geysers erupted across the Abyssal convoy. The enemy did attempt zigzagging - but the sheer amount of fishes in water meant something was bound to hit one way or another. Suzukaze and Sazanami's second salvo came soon after, thinning out the transports even further. Their bloated bodies ripped like rotten gourds, spilling black ichor. The thick tallow mixed with oil and spilled into ocean's pristine waters. Shards of bauxite and ore fell all around them like a hail of rocks.

With hostile numerical superiority already neutralized by the element of surprise, what should have been a pitched battle turned into a slippery slope of carnage and destruction. Nachi and Myokou fought in silence, their moves synchronized and deadly precise. There was some poetry in their actions, some martial choreography hidden in each shot and every maneuver. Something Ashigara both admired and failed to understand at the same time. Her actions were feral, predatory; she saw an opportunity and used it, quickly finding another opening to bite. Behind her, Haguro followed, equally proficient and deadly, albeit in a more careful, conservative way. Around them the destroyers circled, making sure no stray Abyssal makes it out of the circle of doom.

It soon became apparent which opponent was the one in charge; a lone heavy cruiser stayed just outside the centre of the maelstrom, protected by two lighter ships. Her red eyes were the first thing Ashigara noticed. And the Hungry Wolf reacted to this deliciously bloody signal just as one would expect.

"Let's go, nee-chan!" she grabbed Haguro's wrist, pulling her towards the enemy flagship. The other cruiser yelped in surprise, but followed the lead. Blasting a lone destroyer aside, two shipgirls approached their new target.

The escorts tried standing in their way, their defiance barely capable of slowing down the charging cruisers. The red-eyed Abyssals did not try to run; instead, she kept her distance, glare fixated upon the shipgirls. The spark of intelligence in those eyes made her look far more fearsome than the rest; with the corner of her eye, Ashigara could have seen her little sister starting to tremble.

"Just follow me!"

They swerved to the side just as the flagship's guns came to life, triple turrets spitting out their payload. Haguro was just a second too late to dodge; she had to block a single shell with her rigging. The wrist-mounted turret's armour gave in, an explosion blossoming in front of the girl. Hearing her painful scream made Ashigara's blood boil.

"You dirty BASTARD!"

Her guns roared, loading mechanisms barely able to keep up with replacing the shells she fired. Her secondary guns also came to life, their shots pitiful against main artillery blasts, but still adding up to the punishment she extracted. Unable to resist the onslaught, the Abyssal took a step back, her rigging falling apart under the barrage.

She directed one turret a bit lower, blasting the Abyssal's shin into bits. The monstrous abomination screeched in agony, its whole body losing balance and falling to the water. Ichor spilled around, its black surface shimmering with all colours of rainbow in the bright sun.

Ashigara stopped just above her foe, not breaking contact with those red eyes. The light in them flickered in and out, the spark of life dimmed by pain, losing against the injuries sustained. But she saw no fear in those red wells. No regret. Not even hate. They were as blank and emotionless as control lights on some device's panel.

Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Haguro clutching the wounded hand. Her little sister gritted her teeth, unable to contain the pain. Her arms shook, sobs were muted and barely audible - but the suffering was more than obvious.

The Hungry Wolf looked down upon the fallen enemy, her face twisted with fury. All barrels followed her gaze, locking onto the pale visage below. The red light was about to go out forever, the flagship's body just barely afloat.

"Victory. Is. Mine." she hissed.

The final, triumphant salvo shook the waves before everything went silent.


	2. II - Myokou

**II**  
 **Myokou**

"Very well girls, let's review today's lesson" Myokou shut her notebook, giving her pupils an encouraging smile. The class - Shigure, Samidare, Kagerou, Shiranui, Yayoi and Asashio - stared back at her with a mix of anticipation and nervousness. She nodded and started scribbling on the blackboard.

"Let's assume we have an island here... and an enemy task force is approaching from here" she sketched situation, "and finally, we have our squadron here. How would you minimize your exposure to maximize the element of surprise? For the record, the weather remains the same as in all examples we analysed today"

"Excuse me, sensei?" Asashio rose her hand "Can I have a question?"

"That's why we're here"

"Does the enemy force include carriers?"

"Hm... let's assume it does" after a moment of hesitation, Myokou added two Wo-class carriers to the map.

"Then I'd order a single destroyer to deploy a smoke screen to cover the main force from potential airstrike, while a second one sets up a separate screen between our force and the Abyssals. This way all torpedo-equipped ships can move forward and will have a better position to launch a pre-emptive strike" the destroyer recited, barely stopping to take a breath.

"An excellent point!" Myokou smiled approvedly and pointied at the pink-headed girl, absent mindedly staring out of the window "What would be your plan, Shiranui-san?"

"Let me think" the Kagerou-class sighed heavily and stood up, evidently bored with the lesson. "I'd lead the fleet from behind the island, and set up smoke as soon as the Abyssals take notice. Then battleships and cruisers would slow down and change course, throwing the enemy's aim off. Our heavy hitters would be firing blind, right, but basing our aim on enemy movement observed just before the smoke popped up, they should get decent accuracy"

"That plan is risky, but I clearly see your point..." Myokou considered the options for a while. "However, what if the enemy flagship sees through the ruse and also orders their squadron to change course as soon as the smoke rises? This way both sides counter each other's actions and once the visibility is restored, we return to where we began. For homework think about a way to remedy this and we'll resume tomorrow"

"But..." Shiranui scowled, obediently sitting down.

"And before the bell rings... Kagerou-san?"

"Set up smokes on both sides, feign an attack from one side, and once they fall for it concentrate the rest of our forces on the other direction. Flank them and hit hard when they are least prepared!"

"Now that's something Ashigara-san would greatly approve" Myokou nodded. She expected nothing less - Kagerou's temper was second only to Suzukaze's. "But I'd also like you to review potential implications regarding the squadron's safety and let me know tomorrow what your conclusions are"

The bell rang just as she finished speaking.

"That is all for today! You are dismissed!" she announced to the class' happy cheer.

The Academy's main doors led directly onto the base's plaza. Destroyers spreaded out, forming loose groups, chatting and gossiping. They greeted Myokou as she passed by. Each smile and laughter of theirs warmed her heart up a bit. As much as she felt unsure when the admiral first proposed the job, doubling as a teacher turned out to suit her well. Dealing with destroyers was a much welcomed change of pace, compared to chaotic sorties and stressful missions. She also knew her sisters enjoyed teaching a lot - although each of them in her own specific way.

She breathed in a lungful of fresh, chilly air. Winter was remarkably warm that year, even when taking the base's southern latitude into account. The grass was still green, and if it wasn't been for the windy and cloudy weather, it would almost seem as if winter never really came and nature just skipped to spring directly.

She was about to turn towards Mamiya's canteen, when a winded voice called from behind:

"Onee-san! Please wait...!"

"Haguro...? I thought you left the school earlier?"

"I had to stay with Tokitsukaze-chan, she had troubles with her last assignment..."

The petite destroyer emerged from the Academy, heading towards Kagerou's group on the plaza.

"Many thanks, sensei! Bye-bye!" she stopped for a second and waved cheerfully.

Haguro chuckled and waved back - but when she turned again to Myokou, that short burst of joy on her face suddenly evaporated. She twisted her hands, shy and uncertain - back to her usual self.

"I'm sorry if I interrupted in anything, I thought you were already at Mamiya's with the others..."

"That was the plan, true. But I'm glad we met up, we can enjoy the stroll there together!" Myokou beamed at her little sister, her expression brightening up in a blink of an eye.

"Yeah!" she happily noticed Haguro's voice finally lost its apologizing undertone - at least for a short while.

"Enjoy your meal!"

Delivered by Irako, four plates landed in front of the sisters. There was sweet-sour pork chop for Myokou, fried fish for Nachi, five-spice chicken for Haguro and finally dragon-hot curry for Ashigara - all that accompanied by healty servings of rice and sauce. Eyes shining and mouth watering, the cruisers picked up their chopsticks and started the meal.

"Oi!" a sharp voice came from somewhere deeper in the inn, outside Myokou's field of view. She glanced over her shoulder, recognizing Tone-class' orange-and-green uniform. The long-haired girl held a bowl of steaming soup in one hand, the other pointing at the free space next to Haguro.

"May I join? Chikuma is busy running some errands of her own, and our squadron is scheduled to sortie in two hours. I could use some good company to kill time"

"Of course! Take a seat" Haguro shuffled a bit to the side and closer to Nachi. Tone took the spot, her inherent smirk as bold and cocky as ever.

"So…" she said, taking a first spoonful of soup - a shrimp one, judging by the scent "...I heard you got quite a bit of action yesterday? Beat up a convoy or two, they say?"

Myokou saw Nachi discreetly roll her eyes with irritation. Relationship between the two was not exactly the smoothest one - although, given Tone's famous inability to spot social cues, that dislike was also totally one-sided.

On the other side of the spectrum was Ashigara. Their passionate and fiery personalities were like two reflections of the same flame. Although, if anyone asked, Myokou would have problems determining whether that happened to be a good thing - or something completely opposite.

"A glorious victory, to be precise!" the Wolf gloated. "We ambushed the Abyssals like a pack of predators and ripped them to tiny shreds! They were helpless!"

"It wouldn't be such a stunning success if it wasn't for our destroyers..." calmly added Myokou "...Suzukaze-san can be reckless at times, but her temper gives her the strenght to exceed all expectations"

"True, true!" Ashigara gulped a mouthful of curry, barely stopping to take a breath afterwards. Her face blushed with red, but apart from that, all the spice she just swallowed didn't seem to affect her at all. "You should've been there, that was so... enthralling!"

She drifted away for a second, her expression daydreamy and eyes half-shut. Tone waited for the continuation, a spark of envy burning brighter and brigher in her pupils. Ashigara savoured the moment, before resuming the story:

"But I guess that's not going to happen soon, is it? You don't seem to sortie too often, right? At least to… how should I say... more dangerous zones?" she ended with a teasing grin worthy of the Cheshire Cat.

Tone looked back at her in surprise, eyes wide and mouth agape.

"L-listen, you foolhardy river barge!" she darted up, startling poor Haguro and almost spilling the soup all over the table. "My deployment is not of your concern, and if you happen to have _any_ problems with that-"

"I-do-not!" Ashigara accented each syllable, clearly enjoying herself, wagging a finger in front of Tone's face. "It's you who gets all fired up when others just want to share tales of their victories!"

"To bottom with you and your triumphs!" Tone slammed her palms against the table, rattling the dishes. A bit of meat fell off Myokou's chopsticks, landing on her lap, a greasy smear staining her pristine uniform. She slowly looked up at arguing pair, sparks of static gathering along her gaze.

"You know what, landlubber?" Tone continued. "A day will come when you will need more than a single eye in the sky to save your sorry stern. And you shall be asking me and my planes for that aid. And then I will ponder, remember this day and think if I consider you worthy. Just pray **I** will not have the mocking attitude **you** show off today!"

She grabbed her bowl and stormed out of the inn. The other shipgirls, temporarily absorbed by the quarrel, slowly returned to their conversations, and regular commotion fillied the canteen again.

Myokou took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, relaxing. She shook her head with disapproval. Nachi, pretending to be completely fascinated with her meal during Tone's visit, looked up to see the argument's conclusion. Haguro curled up a bit, sensing the approaching reprimand. Only Ashigara remained oblivious, basking in satisfaction.

"That was absolutely unnecessary, Ashigara"

Smile died on Hungry Wolf's face, extinguished like a candle engulfed in an icy winter gale.

"But nee-san…"

"But what? Tone-san just wanted to talk. I know she is sometimes full of herself and egotic, but you have just been exactly the same. If not worse, since Tone-san was actually very nice and polite today. Was she not, Nachi?"

"Y-yes, she was" came a hastly answer.

"Besides" Myokou continued, mercilessly following the first blow up, "we are a part of the fleet's main strike force, all four of us. And since the admiral decided to put you in charge, Ashigara, you should behave like a flagship. It's really sad I have to remind you about this again and again"

In mere seconds Myokou's monologue took, Ashigara turned from a triumphant victor into a scolded schoolgirl.

"I-I'm sorry, nee-chan…"

"That's good to hear" Myokou pursed her lips. "But it is not me you should be apologizing to"

"...understood…" muttered Ashigara, getting down to quickly finish her curry.

The plate was cleaned empty in less than two minutes. Careful not to make eye contact with anyone, the Wolf stood up.

"I'll be back in a minute" she said a bit louder and clearer than before, her face completely red - hard to tell if because of the amount of spice she just evoured, or shame.

Myokou watched her sister leave the inn. A tiny smile appeared on her face for the first time since Tone's departure. As much as hated this kind of situations, in the end they always reminded her why, in spite of all those small disappointments, she always ended up proud of her little sisters.

"I still fail to understand why kids like you as much as Haguro nee-chan" joked Nachi. "Sometimes I'm ready to bet my right hand your lectures alone would be enough to kill an Abyssal princess. Assuming one cared to listen in the first place, of course"

Myokou giggled.

"I'll take that as a compliment, nee-san"


	3. III - Haguro

**III**  
 **Haguro**

In the following days raids against Abyssal supply lines became more and more frequent. The Myokous sortied at least twice between dawn and dusk. Sendai torpedo squadron's took over during nighttime, also going out at least twice each 'shift'. The heavy Breakthrough Division - a combined strike force led by Fusou and Kaga - got assembled for the first time since Okinoshima. Officialy, they were to train the newest addition to the carrier force - a friendly and amicable girl called Souryuu - but seeing that amount of firepower depart Raiushima on a regular basis was… unnerving.

As much as Haguro knew and accepted the simple fact that combat was their life, she really longed for the day all deadly weapons and risky sorties would no longer be necessary. It pained her to see that wonderful day seemed to get farther and farther, instead of becoming less distant as the war against the Abyssals progressed.

Her suspicions got confirmed one ugly January evening.

That day Myokou was in the docks, tending to wounds suffered during their last sortie. Just a couple of bruises and scratches - nothing permanent, yet at the same moment bothersome enough to put her out of action. Normally that would be solved by a single bucket-infused bath in-between the sorties - but since the admiral put restrictions on bucket usage (another source of Haguro's fearful gut premonitions), their division was given a day off.

Nachi used that time to wind down, going out to carrier's dorms to finally meet up with Chitose and Jun'you. Which, not surprisingly, revolved around bottles of liqior the trio always managed to stockpile each time the supply convoy visited the island. Ashigara attended the Staff's weekly briefing at admiral's office, which left their quarters empty. Book in her hand and legs buried deep underneath the kotatsu's blanket, Haguro enjoyed the most of that moment of serenity. Chilly wind and rattling rain outside seemed distant and unreal, just as the war raging around the world.

Ashigara returned just before dusk. She was in good spirits; they exchanged greetings, but no conversation resulted; one was too absorbed in the novel's world, and the other too excited to sit down and attempt to break the barrier. Instead, Ashigara moved on to occupy the kitchen annex, and the room soon filled with a mouthwatering scent of grilled salmon. Half an hour later, a plate landed in front of Haguro's book, the fillet adorned with herbal sauce.

"I know you didn't ask, but thought you might be hungry as well" Ashigara beamed, sliding her legs beneath the blanket, a second plate in hand. "Lost in some faraway land again, I bet?"

"Yeah..." Haguro closed the book, dreamy expression on her face slowly replaced by embarrassed blush. "Sor-"

"C'mon!" Ashigara didn't let her finish. "Everything for my beloved onee-chan. Now, eat up!"

Only after the first bite did Haguro realize how hungry she had been. They ate in silence for a while.

"So…" she asked half-way through the meal "...how was the meeting?"

"On one hand, nothing special" Ashigara shrugged. "We gave our reports, Okada read out messages he got from Fleet Command and so on. It seems the Abyssals had to rerout their supply convoys. We really hit them hard with those raids. What a victory!"

"That's great…" Haguro found it hard to muster anything more convincing. "But you mean there is... another point of view?"

"Yeah!" Ashigara grinned with that predatory smile of hers. "The old guy finally shed some light on all those strange things happening recently. You know, Fusou's squadron sortieing again in full force, Kaga and Akagi training the hell out of that newbie Souryuu and so on. We're up to something large. Like, really large!"

A strange, sinking feeling flooded Haguro's gut. The peaceful dream the day had been up to that point just popped like a soap bubble.

"Anyway, pretty much everything about it is classified" Ashigara pursed her lips. "We were given some details of course, but it's all on a need-to-know basis. Each of us got her own piece, and was told not to team up in assembling the puzzle. All I can tell you is that we're giving up convoy riding and are to prepare for large scale operation. Possibly with foreigners! I'm so excited! Another victory is coming, this time a huuuuge one, I can feel it! I can't wait to get there and grab it with my own hands!"

She pointed outside the window, roughly to the point where leaden skies met the dark-grey waters. It took her a longer while to notice a saddened look on Haguro's face.

"Something's wrong? Nee-chan...?"

"N-no, nothing! Don't worry about me!" Haguro shook her head fervently, forcing herself to put on a weak smile. "It's the weather… and I was thinking about Myokou nee-san…"

"She'll be alright" Ashigara resumed the meal. "I am pretty sure she'll be excited as well when she hears the news. In her own way, this is. She should sometimes show some more enthusiasm, I think"

"Y-yeah…" Haguro picked the plate up as well, the delicious taste spoiled by bitter anxiety sprouting in the back of her mind.

* * *

True to Ashigara's words, their missions changed. Convoy hunting got replaced by massive sorties. The Victory Division (as much as the majority ridiculled the name, Haguro always admited it does have a nice ring to it) exercised with battleships and carriers, going through all sorts of scenarios. Convoy escort. Shore bombardment. Close quarters and night combat. Fleet harassment. Air defense. Fusou and Kaga came up with increasingly difficult and improbable ideas, all of them repeated until perfect synchronization was achieved. Which, taking into account Kaga's standards, pretty every time left them exhausted and begging for mercy.

If it hadn't been for her older sister's position in the Staff, Haguro would have simply missed the day the operation started.

They were standing on the pier, watching as wind forced waves across the breakwater. After a mild beginning, winter showed its ugly face again, with rain and constant gale reminding them how distant and faraway summer was.

As every day, Kiso's squadron - two light cruisers and four destroyers - sped out from the docks. Younger girls struggled against the uneasy sea, sets of barrel canisters strapped to their backs.

"Poor kids" Haguro shook her head dejectedly. "It must be really hard for them, with all that additional displacement..."

"It sure is" Ashigara nodded, her face bearing an enigmatic mask. "Especially since…"

"Since…?" intrigued by the pause, Nachi gave her an inquisitive look.

"Ah dammit all, I think it's no longer any harm if I tell you… It's for real now. I mean, those barrels aren't empty. And they are not coming back before sunset"

"What!?" Haguro gasped.

"They're filled to the brim with supplies. Ammo, fuel, bauxite, spares… you name it. Everything Hibiki and her teams have been hoarding for the past few weeks. And they're heading for the Tsuruga base"

"Tsuruga?" Myokou rose her brows. "The one blocked…"

"...by the Abyssal submarine fleet, the very same. Rough seas are going to be the smallest of their problems. Subs, patrols... and we all know those damn floaters fare in this weather much better than our planes. They're in for one tough ride"

"My gosh…" Haguro turned her gaze back to tiny figures in the distance, slowly disappearing among crashing waves.

"I wish we could do anything to help them" after a brief period of surprise, Myokou's voice returned to its calm and collected self. "But I am sure they will manage"

"Of course they will!" Ashigara laughed, patting Haguro's back. "Cheer up nee-chan, we will see them back tomorrow! And let me tell you one more thing, maybe it'll keep your spirits up - once Tsuruga gets relieved, we are going into real action as well! Glorious victory awaits just beyond the horizon! Ripe and ready for the taking!"

"Y-yes…"


	4. IV - Shouhou

**IV**  
 **Shouhou**

She took a deep breath before knocking at the door. The sound echoed along the short corridor, and after a few seconds the admiral's voice replied from the other side:

"Come in"

She walked in, barely able to mask overwhelming anxiety. Even though this was not her first visit there, and even though she was pretty sure there was no reason to worry, the sudden call to a meeting made her nervous. Did she really do her best last time? Or maybe she actually fared worse than the rest of the squadron?

The admiral's office was a rather small, although barely spartan; a simple desk was coupled with a pair of comfy, deep armchairs. Left wall was lined with filing cabinets, a glass case displaying scale models and a liquor cabinet. Since the office took the building's corner, a wide window occupied almost all the right wall's length. Behind the admiral's back hanged a calligraphed scroll, bearing the base's motto. The wallpaper had a pleasant, teal colour - akin to sea waves on a sunny day.

"Good day, Shouhou" Okada stood up, putting aside the file he was studying. "Take a seat please. Want something to drink? Tea? Coffee? Hot chocolate? _Sumfin' stronger_?"

The last question was made in a rough imitation of Jun'you's drunken slur. The contrast between the words and the admiral's completely serious face made Shouhou let out a small chuckle. The commander joined the laugh, ice broken and atmosphere relaxed.

"Chocolate please, sir"

"A woman of culture, I see. As always"

To Shouhou's surprise, he headed for the liquor cabinet, pulling out a bottle of milk. After rummaging in the corner for a short while, he also produced a metal pot and an electric cooker, seemingly out of nowhere. Another whole later, the milk was warming up slowly, the cooker buzzing silently.

"Just a bit of patience now" he said, returning to the desk. "I usually prefer mine cold, you see"

Hidden behind a pair of glasses, his eyes carefully examined Shouhou's face - but there was no judging in the way they looked; only curiosity. Which, to be honest, didn't make much difference to her. Either way, he only spoke again after he made sure she was comfortably seated:

"First of all, let me personally congratulate you for your performance during your last mission" his words came just before Shouhou's reawakened anxiety built up beyond critical point. "When we received information about those Wo-class carriers being deployed around Tsuruga base after our first successful expeditions, I was really worried. But you did a tremendous job"

"I did?" Shouhou's face lit up a bit.

"Without any doubt" seeing the milk start to boil over, Okada rushed to save the cabinet. A minute later two steaming cups of chocolate landed on the desk.

"I read Kiso's report" he resumed, sitting down and pointing to the file he was reading upon Shouhou's arrival. "That final strike came at the worst possible moment. Just outside Tsuruga interceptors' range, and just after the weather cleared up a bit."

"Kiso wanted us all to speed up" the carrier interluded. "But with Kikuzuki damaged after that skirmish with the princess..."

She paused for a second, reliving the moment in her mind. Admiral patiently awaited the continuation.

"...so I volunteered to stay behind and stop them. The enemy was operating far from their carriers, so I was sure that if I could delay them for just a few minutes, they'd have to head back or run out of fuel and crash into the sea"

"Which was a most reasonable decision" Okada nodded.

"I only had a single squadron of fighters, but I launched the others too. The Abyssals... they aren't that smart. I hoped they'd just react to numbers, not looking at the composition"

"Their floaters surely aren't intelligent" for some reason, the admiral insisted on not calling the airborne Abyssals 'planes'. "At least not more than a pack of dim-witted wolves. And how did this plan work out?"

A feeling of guilt seeped from back of Shouhou's mind. An eager spark in her eyes dimmed as she glanced down, at her hands holding the cup.  
"It didn't..." she paused, trying to unknot the tight clump in her throat. "At all. I… I barely managed to even slow them down. They not only reached Kikuzuki, but also got to the convoy as well... and..."

Her voice started to tremble, but she managed - barely - to put it back together.

"Some floaters turned to engage my planes, but the majority just blasted through. My fairies did their best, but in the end… I barely rescued a dozen. I failed."

Spitting out the last two words, she hid her face in the cup, trying to steady her voice and hands. Hot chocolate burnt her mouth and throat - but she sipped it slowly, reliving the battle over and over again in her mind. The moment when she heard first bombers barely miss limping Kikuzuki. When she saw Kitakami getting hit for the first time…

"Actually" Okada's voice seemed to come from somewhere far away, beckoning her back to reality. "I think you did well. And it's not only my opinion"

He pushed the report towards her.

"I interviewed both Kiso-san and Kikuzuki-chan before inviting you here. They mentioned the airstrike was disrupted and incoherent when it reached their positions. Bombs fell few and far apart, and Abyssal torpedo bombers never actually came close to threatening the convoy. True, some damage was inevitable - but Kiso-san concluded that the outcome was much, much better than she initially anticipated. See for yourself"

"But... " Shouhou grabbed the file, seeing the admiral's words confirmed in print "...but Kiso-san was…"

"Oh, she also mentioned her attitude towards you" Okada chuckled. "She has very high expectations of herself - and projects them on others. For your information - the only person she never, ever berated openly was Tatsuta-san. Only because - let's be honest - Tatsuta-san has the attitude to match Kiso-san's"

Shouhou read the report for a few minutes. The admiral's words were indeed confirmed by the document - and more. They openly praised her efforts. The pendulum of her emotions, swinging back an forth from the moment she crossed the HQ's doorstep, went all the way to the happiness' side - and stayed there. So she really did this… Kiso's anger was just an impulse... Kikuzuki's gratitude was not a forced one…

When she looked up at the commander, the whole room seemed a bit brighter, even with the dark clouds covering the skies and icy wind howling among across the base. Even chocolate tasted a bit sweeter.

Seeing her cheer up, Okada cleared his throat.

"Actually… there is one announcement I'd like to make, taking advantage of the situation"

Shohou's eyes widened, now more of curiosity than anything else.

"I have sent a request to the Fleet Command, asking for a permission to set up a new order. One specifically for shipgirls stationed on Raiushima. The mail was only sent last hour, so please keep it confidential until an official decision is announced - but I think I may safely let you know you are among the ones recommended. Good job Shouhou-san, I am proud to have you in our base"

Hundreds of thoughts clashed inside Shouhou's head in the brief moment of silence that followed. She was surprised, overjoyed, shocked, reluctant to believe and embarrassed - all at the same time. So she acted on impulse; darted up from the armchair, straightening up in an eager salute:

"Thank you, admiral! I will keep doing my best! I'll-"

"Just keep up the good work" Okada also stood up, returning the salute. "Do you have any questions?"

"N-no, sir!"

"Then I believe we are done for now. Just please - don't tell anyone else in the base about that request of mine until I make a formal announcement, okay?"

"Understood, sir!"

"And get some jacket or something…you must be cold in that shirt alone"

"I'm fine, sir!" she laughed, finishing the last few sips of chocolate and heading for the door, her long ponytail swinging around with each step.

* * *

Okada sat down heavily once the door closed behind the carrier and her soft steps went all the way downstairs. It was not that he was faking enthusiasm or liking towards the young carrier - but seeing the whole picture kinda… dimmed his own optimism. Sure thing, Shouhou had every damn reason to be proud of herself. As for himself...

He shoved Kiso's report to the drawer, pulling out the latest ledger out instead. Raiushima was running low on resources. His forces lacked the experience, supply convoys from mainland were scarce, and Tsuruga convoys consumed much, much more fuel and munitions than he anticipated. But Fleet Command's orders remained unchanged; operation Hikari was to proceed without delay. The atol was to be reinforced, the Abyssal armada forced back into southern seas.

Flipping through the tables, graphs and comments over and over again did not magically solve any problems - but he hoped for some spark of inspiration, some epiphany that would allow him to see something he had missed up to that point. So far, in vain.

He sighed, glancing outside. His gaze slided down, from the cloudy sky to the base's main basin, with a rare sight of Sendai practicing in bright daylight with her newly assigned group. Apart from that, the base was deserted, the girls either forced into their dorms by the weather, or already far away, on sorties. The eerie atmosphere gave him the creeps.

Even that latest victory seemed totally random. He didn't plan to assign Shouhou to the convoy in the first place. But those Abyssal carriers appearing forced his hand. Using Kaga or Akagi would only put an additional drain on available resources - and most likely attract additional unwanted attention. Training Souryuu took priority - another reason for Kaga to stay, as well as main reason Ryujouu was out of the question as well. Hiyou and Jun'you lacked the speed to keep up with the convoy. As unprepared as Shouhou was, she was the only choice he had. And as unlikely as it seemed - she exceeded all expectations.

Should that permission from Fleet Command arrive, he would make damn sure the smallest - yet the most eager - of his carriers would get all the recognition she deserved. The biggest 'if' being Tokyo's decision. The whole shipgirls' initiative, as promising as it was, still caused great... doubts amond the higher-ups. Not to mention the general population.

Sharp rapping at the door woke him up from that gloomy daydream.

"Admiral...?" not waiting for an answer, Kaga walked into the office. "I'd like to make a final review of Souryuu-san's performance before we go forward with tomorrow's sortie..."


	5. V - Nachi

**V**  
 **Nachi**

"Bottoms up!"

Compared to the gloomy gale blowing when they departed, the weather was great; clouds have cleared, wind slowed down to a vigorous breeze, and even water seemed a bit warmer.

"One more, Nac-chan!" Jun'you rose her flask in a cheerful toast, screaming on top of her lungs. "We're gonna beat them up real good, I tell ya!"

"Yeah!" Nachi downed another gulp and put the emptied bottle on the pier's concrete. She looked upon the unfamiliar horizon, its line disturbed by other islands alonging to the atoll. Behind her, soldiers and sailors unloaded supplies brought in by Hibiki and Suzukaze.

Yeah.

All would be good if their flasks contained real alcohol instead of fresh water. And if they were on Raiushima, instead of Ulithi atoll. Oh, and if most of the local base's personnel didn't try so hard to act normal around them and hide t heir ware glances. She knew all too well that for some reason most 'regular' people felt awkward around shipgirls. But she just wished they didn't try to cover up their confusion in such a blatantly obvious way.

Well, keeping up appearances was something one just can't escape from, right?

Shame she was never good at that.

Seeing her mood deteriorate, Jun'you also dropped the pretense. An ornamental flask landed on the ground, bounced once and finally rested on top of her flight scroll.

"Gyaaaah!" she groaned, stretching as much as her cross-legged position allowed. "This is bullshit! Half a day going here, half a day going back home... Why does the admiral send us here at all? Wouldn't another convoy suffice? Like, with more destroyers and less heavy firepower?"

"I thought you were just pretending back then" Nachi tilted her head, giving her drinking buddy a puzzled look. "I mean, how could you possibly... sleep through the whole last briefing...?"

"Uhm..."

"And the one before then? And before...?"

"Gee-hee..." Jun'you's grin was as disarming as ashamed.

"...and you didn't ask anyone? Hiyou-san? Me? Kaga-san?"

"Ya know... Orders are orders, you don't question them, even if they don't make much sense to you..."

Unable to find answer to that, Nachi just stroke the tip of her ponytail - a silly reflex, often ridiculed by her sisters. Yet one that at least kept her hands busy.

Luckily, Ryuujou's arrival broke the awkward situation. Supplies have been disembarked and reconnaisance flights returned with intel on Abyssal actions. During two previous sorties to Ulithi that was the moment Kaga gave the order to return home. This time, however, things were different.

Even as she suited up, with soldiers replacing fairies as her 'squires', she could have felt the electric current circling all around the harbour. Kaga was already there, her usually emotionless posture now almost... menacing. Akagi, being a more or less conscious translator of the flagship's minimalistic emoting, was giving out a pretty obvious message;

They were going into battle this time.

She slid onto water just before Hiei and Fusou sisters. Seeing the whole fleet assembled, Kaga started without further ado:

"Recon flights have detected Abyssal fleet leaving their base. At least a dozen ships, all classes. They were not heading directly here, but that might have changed at any moment. We leave now, all groups are to assume combat formations. Unconditional radio silence until said otherwise. Any questions?"

"Yahoo!" Suzukaze's yell almost made Haguro and Yamashiro jump. "We're finally gonna wreck those sorry heaps of coke!"

"I understand that was not a question. Very well then, form up and follow me"

* * *

They sailed on in eerie silence. Her group, lead by Sendai, scouted in front of the main force. Nachi and Myokou followed the leader closely, with Kitakami a few metres behind. To their flanks, Suzukaze and Hibiki kept an eye out for enemy submarines.

The main force stayed behind, its core composed of Kaga, Akagi, Souryuu and Ryuujou, all four in a loose diamond formation. Ashigara and Hiei closed the figure, making sure no enemy squadron managed to sneak up from either flank.

Somewhere just beyond the horizon was their support force - Fusou, Yamashiro, Hiyou, Jun'you, Haruna and Haguro. Staying out of enemy range, that squadron was to engage the enemy in the battle's initial phase, hopefully disrupting hostile actions completely - and to provide last ditch assistance should things really go south.

Spirits quickly deteriorated after their departure from Ulithi. Not even Suzukaze's enthusiasm could last long in face of an atmosphere of omnious, oppressive tension. Even without speaking, Nachi knew what each of them was thinking:

 _This is it_.

This was not the type of silence she enjoyed; as much as she disliked loud and noisy commotion usually filling the base, she almost wished her squadron was never selected for this mission. That she could participate in early afternoon activities on Raiushima, practice gunnery with other cruisers or teach next class of destroyers in the Academy. For the first time in her life, the silence and calm were more overwhelming than the base's constant buzz and hum. For they seemed fake. Unreal. Treacherous.

Still, in spite of her worries, she could say she was happy. For she knew she was in the right place, at the right moment. Among her comrades.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Kaga's alert.

"Spread out. Airstrike incoming"

She looked in the signalized direction, a cloud of Abyssal floaters swarming above the horizon. Carriers hurriedly deployed their own fighters, while cruisers and destroyers loosened up formation, balancing between staying in one another's range and not clustering into easy targets for enemy bombers. Nachi's place was at the tip of a triangle, with Kaga and Souryuu located in other two corners. Ashigara exchanged a high five with her when they passed by each other.

"Good luck, nee-chan"

"Sure I will!"

Minutes before detection and engagement passed unbearably slow, torturing their perception of time. Allied planes were numerically inferior - but Kaga and Ryuujou's emphasis on training meant that pilot fairies could at least attempt to even the odds. Those few Abyssal fighters that decided to engage were quickly taken out once aerial armadas clashed - however, strike craft were just too numerous to be stopped this way. Soon first anti-aircraft guns opened fire, black clouds of flak filling the sky.

Nachi despised this type of combat. Fighting enemy ships was a matter of skill, an art of patience and precision. Hitting a flying target was pure chance. And even if a single shell hit, even if shrapnels damaged a floater enough for its ugly body to fall towards the waves - there were countless more to come. First bombs soon fell from above, geysers of foam erupting dangerously close to her and her comrades.

The world turned into a chaotic blur; explosions and guns' rattle became distant, Nachi's mind disconnected from the maelstrom around, focusing on a single thing at a moment instead.

She barely noticed Akagi suffer a direct hit, a bomb blooming on her flight deck.

It was more instinctive than conscious when she lurched to the side, barely avoiding a line of torpedoes dropped by an especially vicious flight.

No matter what they did, no matter how she focused, the battle was dreadfully one-sided. The enemy just kept coming and coming, wave after wave, relentless and unstopping.

She noticed that one squadron half a second too late.

Four bombers split from their main formation, chased by one of Kaga's Reppus. Rear guns blazed with fire, ripping the fighter's wing off and making it plunge down in flames. Then they dived as well, straight towards Nachi's position. Bombs detached in unison, four shells falling too fast to dodge.

Flames engulfed the world around her, pain and heat filling her mind. She collapsed, the noises of battle drowned in a stinging ring in her ears. Flames darkened and froze, turning into a black veil, wrapping her mind in a static cocoon of oblivion.

* * *

She returned after an infinitesimally short eternity in darkness. She felt something warm trickling down her face. She opened eyes to see Myokou wiping her forehead with a gauze pad. The sharp scent of antiseptic came next, as her senses returned to their proper places.

"Thank goodness you're alright" Myokou sighed with relief. "Can you stand up?"

"Y-yeah"

Legs wobbling and weak at first, Nachi managed to pull herself up. Her right arm complied with ease - but left one barely responded, every attempt to move it spreading waves of pain across her body. She hissed and grit her teeth - but managed to stay upright.

The sea around them was calm once again, shards of metal and pieces of aircraft floating on the waves. Other shipgirls tended to their wounds as well - practically everyone was bruised and scorched, but it seemed everyone was more or less OK. Well, except for her. Her left arm hung loosely, like a hollow prop. When she tried to lift it up again, the wave of pain returned, almost forcing her to kneel.

"Don't overdo it!" Myokou grabbed her just before her knees would bulge in. "It's broken. Or worse. Akashi needs to take a look once we return. I'll tie it down for the time being, but it's just provisional. You're sure you're OK? Apart from that?"

"I-I think so…" Nachi panted heavily, trying to calm down her racing heart as Myokou immobilized the damned limb against her torso. "When do we depart?"

A third voice joined the conversation:

"Depart…!?"

She never saw Ashigara so much disturbed.

"Yes. We have a mission to complete. We can't abandon it just because…"

"Nee-san!" if it hadn't been for Myokou's instant reaction, Ashigara would've practically slammed into Nachi in an attempt to grab her. "You're barely holding together, we can't advance like that!"

"We have our orders" Nachi said slowly, the pain slowly getting under control. Mind over matter. "If the Abyssals remain undisturbed, they will attack the base. Then all we did today will be rendered irrelevant. Is that what you desire?"

"Nee-san, please!" on the verge of hysteria, Ashigara pushed Myokou aside, despite the latter's vigorous protests. "You-"

"She is right"

Three cruisers turned towards the flagship - determined and shocked at the same time, each in her own way.

"WHAT?!" Ashigara yelled. "Kaga-san, this is madness! You can't possibly-"

"Nachi san is correct in that we have clear orders" the carrier's calm voice cut through the Wolf's scream with ease. "At _any cost_ " she put emphasis on those two words, "we are to make sure the base is safe from enemy strike. And the only way to do this is by engaging and forcing that foe away"

"And you're just going to order us to comply!? Then I-"

"I shall not give orders. I don't have the authority. But the Staff has, in admiral's absence"

She summoned Hibiki and Suzukaze, then tuned the radio in for Fusou's frequency. Explaining the situation took her as little as three senteces.

"I am against! Against moving on and against this vote!" Ashigara spoke first, as soon as Kaga finished her transmission.

"I agree with Nachi-san" Hibiki said after a short while. "Leaving the Abyssals unattended now means they can strike against the base anytime. That would not be _khorosho_ "

"As long as Nachi-san says she can manage, I believe in 'er!" Suzukaze grinned, a particularly nasty cut scarring her face.

"We must not tempt misfortune" Fusou's voice crackled through the speaker. "That attack was well aimed and may mean the Abyssals know about our approach. Proceeding is risky. Too risky to attempt carelessly"

"You heard her!" Ashigara was still trembling, pointing at Kaga's radio "We must not risk only because of admiral's inflated-"

"NEE-CHAN!"

Myokou finally lost her calm, her voice surprisingly rough and powerful. "It's not only your decision to make, so keep quiet!"

Kaga pondered in silence, as Nachi's heart was about to burst out of her chest. Other shipgirls converged around the improvised council, silent in their anticipation.

"Two votes for, two against. While admiral's orders take priority..." she finally said, looking at Nachi "...I do not want to break this tie without your consent. Do you truly believe you can carry on in this state?"

"Yes!" Nachi extended her healthy arm, its rigging still fixed in place and active.

"Then I trust your judgement" Kaga nodded. "All ships, resume formation, we depart in-"

" **YOU CAN'T!** "

Kaga turned to Ashigara, her gaze unshaken by the cruiser's seething fury.

"I cannot, you are correct. But the Staff made the decision, which is on par with the admiral's word. If you distrust other members of Staff, or our judgement, say it now and complain to the admiral after we return. But now go back to formation"

Her anger crashed against an invisible wall, Ashigara stood for a while, eyes fixed upon Kaga's unflinching face - and she ultimately loosened her fists and moved to her place, accepting her defeat.

"Just take care, onee-san" she said as their passed by each other.

"I will"


	6. VI - Hikari

**V  
** **Hikari**

This time neither side allowed the other any advantage.

Two swarms took off as soon as the Abyssal fleet got into sighting range. From afar, it seemed the enemy force released a cloud of spores into air, like an exploding puffball. Hundreds of particles rose in chaotic patterns, sheer numbers supposed to compensate for the lack of intelligence and tactics.

Above their fleet, a smaller armada assembled. Planes grouped in flights and squadrons, circling and gaining altitude. Three carriers released arrow after an arrow; to her great delight, Souryuu had no problem keeping up with Kaga or Akagi. Ryuujou unfurled her scroll with verve, paper planes transforming into their metal forms one by one. Finally, the flagship signaled to commence the run. Like a school of fish, all aircraft made a coordinated, synchronized turn towards the enemy and sped up.

"Begin the attack. All ships, fire at will" crackled Kaga's command.

Both swarms met midway, their clash signaled by trails of machinegun fire. Soon first explosions lit the sky, debris falling to the waves below. Strike craft on both sides tried to plow through the furball, chased by those few fighters not engaged in dogfight. Sky turned into a hectic firework show, its gruesome beauty underscored by the setting sun illuminating the battlefield.

Numbers on their side, the Abyssal floaters formed a tight formation, breaking off from the engagement. The group dove just above the waves, using speed gained this way to bypass the escorts. They just buzzed between Kitakami and Suzukaze, first attempts to shoot them down coming too late to prevent the strike.

"Crap!" a high-pitched scream came out of shipgirls' radios.

Unlike bombs, torpedoes caused little shockwave; Nachi glanced over her shoulder, to see fountains of water already up, obscuring all four carriers. Kaga and Souryuu emerged unscathed. Akagi came next, losing balance and tubling to the waves. She stood up, her clothes tattered and face bleeding. Neither the flightdeck, nor the bow were anywhere to be seen.

She sighted Ryuujou only after most of the foamy mist had settled settled; the carrier hurriedly discarded her burning scroll, trying to put out the flame spreading to her clothes.

They just lost half their carrier force.

She turned back to the enemy fleet to see explosions and geysers erupting among the Abyssals. At least Fusou's squadron approached undetected and struck without complications. From that distance, it was hard to assess exact damage - but at least some explosions indicated direct hits. The black cloud of flak fire above the enemy meant Hiyou and Jun'you's planes found their targets.

In the middle of the enemy squadron stood a tall figure. She was surprisingly humane, compared to the monsters surrounding her. If it wasn't for pieces of ebony armour and Abyssal carapace partially covering her, she could have been taken for another shipgirl at first. But that first impression became painfully verified once they closed in into firing range.

Her hair were snow-white, extending well beyond her height and matching the necrotic paleness of her skin. Her eyes shone with a blood-red glare, far more vigorous and more terrifying than the ones of a regular flagship. All around her, seemingly out of thin air, Abyssal floaters materialized and took off, reinforcing the cloud of steel and fire hovering above the battlefield.

But there was one thing that made her even more dreadful.

The way she acted.

Riding on top of what seemed to be an overgrown destroyer, she moved smoothly, unlike the cumbersome Ru-class battleships or cruisers surrounding her. Each motion was graceful and precise, each gesture commanding and imperious. And the monsters obeyed without delay.

Nachi didn't even dare to think how could this creature alone match four of their carriers.

"So this is the Princess…?" Suzukaze instinctively moved closer to her, as if that could in any way protect her against the enemy armada.

Despite the distance, ignoring the buzz of engines and blasts of explosions, a distorted voice could have clearly been heard; humanlike, but at the same time deeper, vibrating, dripping with spite and hatred:

"Come… Come and sink...! Let the Abyss greet you...! SINK!"

The last word shook the air around them, like a shockwave. Suzukaze cowered behind Nachi, the other escort ships almost stopped in their tracks, their faces pale and eyes terrified. Nachi grabbed the destroyer with her free hand, shaking her back to senses.

"We can do this! Can you hear me? Suzukaze-san!"

Just behind them, Myokou turned to Hibiki.

"You remember our lessons? This is what we practiced for. You can do this! Don't be scared, together we cannot fail!"

Suzukaze's breath slowed down, white fog of fear subsided from her mind. Hibiki looked up, straight into her teacher's eyes. Her bold, confident face was but a thin mask, barely obscuring the horrified girl beneath - but it held together just fine.

"Yes!" both voices responded to Myokou and Nachi's encouragement. They soon sped back up, rejoining the escort force just before Hiei's yell sounded in the radio:

"Enemy in range! Opening fire, with all my strength!"

Her shells struck the Princess' mount, throwing her off-balance. But that didn't seem to disturb her too much. She quickly stabilised her course, her scream resounding even louder than before:

"SINK!"

Floaters that struk Akagi and Ryuujou, thinned out by the fleet's anti-air fire, turned back and headed straight for the battleship. Swifter and faster than regular ones, they almost effortlessly outran Zeros chasing them.

Hiei barely had time to dodge, her heavy rigging slowing her down. A cluster of explosions zeroed on her, a yelp of surprise and pain struck their ears.

"I'm fine!" she responded to an unspoken question once the smoke cleared. "Just keep them away!"

"Easier said then done…" mouthed Nachi, aiming her guns towards the closest destroyer.

* * *

Not even Okinoshima could have compared to this.

It was said that every naval battle sooner or later devolved into a series of duels. And so would that one, if it wasn't for one small detail.

They were outgunned.

For every destroyer Nachi blasted, two more came. She circled between Ashigara, Myokou and Sendai, pairing up and decoupling as the situation dictated. Abyssal cruisers and battleships stayed behind the protective screen of escorts, shelling them and dodging Kitakami and destroyers' long range torpedo salvos. Kaga and Souryuu redoubled their efforts, thinning out enemy airforce. Soon their bombers also broke through, aiding Hiei in her desperate attempts to hit the enemy dreadnoughts and the Princess.

Nachi cursed her halved firepower at first - but before long, she realized she was no longer the only one handicapped. Ashigara got caught in a crossfire, losing her torpedoes and two turrets. Myokou's rigging took a direct hit, making her weapons barely responsive and listing her to the right. But all three of them fought on, their skills and anger making up for damage and injuries.

"We need to hold out until the sun sets completely!" Sendai shouted over the gunfire. "If we can close in then and torpedo the Princess…"

"We don't have time for that" even Kaga's voice lost its usual calm. "Where is the escort flagship?"

"It's that cruiser!" Sendai fired a flare, an artificial shooting star coming to life above an Abyssal ship.

"Good. All ships, concentrate your fire on that enemy. Souryuu, we take out that other cruiser between us and the Princess. Understood?"

A chorus of short confirmations followed.

Focused upon, the flagship crumbled quickly; no matter how agile and swift, the Abyssal got struck repeatedly by torpedoes and shells, ultimately toppling and sinking in an instant. They quickly pushed into the gap created, repeling Abyssal destroyers that tried to close the breach. In front of them, covering the Princess, were two Ru-class battleships and a Ne-class cruiser.

Kaga and Souryuu's planes wooshed from behind them, striking the cruiser down in a relentless wave attack. Another explosion blossomed where the closest Ru-class stood, coupled with Hiei's joyful scream. The battleship crumbled, its rigging torn away along with its whole arm.

They made it through. Only one ship stood between them and the Princess.

And then, as Fusou would say, misfortune had returned from its distant journey.

Destroyers closed the gap behind them, forcing Suzukaze and Hibiki to fall back and face them. Sendai joined the pair, her agility put to better use against the nimble Abyssals.

"SINK!" sounded the Princess roar, fury in her words burning like a firestorm.

Her floaters regrouped and struck again, almost effortlessly avoiding Kaga's interceptors. Attacked from two sides, Myokou had little chance to dodge; her already listing rigging prevented her from turning fast enough. She detached a battered part of it to block an incoming torpedo. But even though it covered her from the blast, metal shrapnels exploded into the air, shredding her skin. Blood tainted the purple of her uniform.

The last battleship fired two salvos in quick succession. The first one bracketed Kitakami. The second hit directly, but the cruiser's light armour actually saved her; massive shells went right through the rigging, exploding deep underwater. The shockwave was powerful enough to throw her high int air, making her tumble and land a dozen or so metres away from the blast zone, but apart from that she seemed OK. Still, stunned and shaken, she visibly had problems standing up.

The realization they were down to just her and Ashigara struck Nachi like a sledgehammer.

"We can handle the destroyers, don't worry about us! Just get to that witch and kill her!" crackled Sendai's voice in the radio.

"Roger that!" Ashigara confirmed. "Let's do this, nee-san!"

"Uhm"

* * *

The Ru-class had enough firepower to overwhelm them both at the same time. Luckily, it lacked in agility. And that was their best hope.

Ashigara and Nachi closed in, circling the behemoth, their shells splashing and shattering against its thick carapace. High caliber guns roared one by one, always a split of second too late to catch up with the shipgirls. Shells as big as steers slammed into water and exploded underneath, huge plumes of foam erupting high above their heads. Finally, their relative positions aligned the way they should.

"Away!"

The single surviving launcher on Nachi's hip came to life with a disturbing creak, but dispatched all the projectiles without failing. Fired from just a metre or two more than the arming range, torpedoes left no chance for the battleship to dodge. A massive explosion roared in Nachi's ears, as the giantess toppled to the waves, her right leg blown to tiny bits.

"Brilliant! Now onwards, to victory!" rejoiced Ashigara, spinning towards the Princess.

She didn't notice the agonizing battleship rise its guns one last time as soon as she showed it her back. Trembling with pain, gushing ichor out of its wounds, the Abyssal trained its barrels for one last salvo.

For the first time during that battle, Nachi was grateful for her injuries preventing her from keeping up with her sisters.

"NO!"

Fired from point-blank range, her shells penetrated the carapace, ripping the battleship's upper torso open. Oily gore erupted into her face. Ashigara was safe.

She heard the omnious buzz overhead a second too late.

* * *

This time there was no darkness, no pain. She just blinked - and when she opened her eyes again, the whole world around fell apart, shattered like stained glass.

She remembered standing one moment, but floating on her back in the next, a warm feeling gently embracing her from behind. The whole battle, the carnage she participated in just a while earlier, became distant. As if she watched it through some kind of fog. Stained glass got covered in steam she could not just wipe off her eyes.

Sounds of battle came muffled, disconnected from the blurred images she saw. Things - she couldn't tell if they were planes, floaters or bombs - fell from the skies, their splash always coming a heartbeat too soon or too late. Explosions blossomed on darkening skies, their vibrations out of synch and surreal. Voices were twisted and distorted, human and Abyssal mingling into a single cacophony.

One blurred silhouette came closer. Close enough for her to finally distinguish some details. Long hair. Dark eyes. Nee-chan.

Ashigara was saying something, maybe even screaming - but words came jumbled, a random stream of sounds and silence weaved together. It was harder and harder to focus. Onee-chan's voice became more and more garbled, while the warm embrace from behind got tighter and tighter.

She realized she didn't remember the blast. Could the shock have been that bad? Or maybe that bomb missed and she was just stunned? But then why...?

She tried moving a hand. It felt surprisingly light, but also numb. Carefully, every single muscle steered individually, she rose it up, to her eyes. It seemed OK. Her left hand looked perfectly fine. This simple move proved to be incredibly exhausting - but she carried on, slowly reaching out for Ashigara's face.

Her cheek was soft and warm, even through the glove's thick leather. Two gentle strokes were all she could do - the effort made her even weaker, darkness started creeping up from the edges of her vision. She saw Ashigara stop screaming, a single tear trickle down her face. The embrace from behind tightened.

"You see, nee-chan? It's… al...right" she mouthed before the numbness overcame her, darkness closing between them like a starless canopy.

Whatever was beneath finally won, tugging her away from Ashigara's arms.

* * *

The bloody stump that used to be Nachi's arm dropped back to the water, as the whole body went limp. Ashigara couldn't make out the words that escaped the shrapnel-torn throat. A pool of blood, gushing from a gaping hole in her sister's side, expanded rapidly. In the dying light it looked black, mixing seamlessly with Abyssal ichor.

"Nee-san…? Nee-san, please! NACHI!"

But not a sign came back.

Over the waves, another voice reached her ears; coarse. Inhuman. Overjoyed.

She looked behind. Battered and propped against some protrusion growing from her mount's body, the Princess laughed. Her cackle echoed in the air around them, mocking and triumphant.

Ashigara felt world around them go silent. All that was left was that guffaw and the buzz of raging adrenaline in her veins.

She gently put Nachi down, using the Abyssal's dead body as a makeshift raft. All that mattered was the monster in front of them. The one that dared to hurt her sister. The one that openly mocked her in front of their comrades. The one-

Something grabbed her arm just as she was about to stand up and take aim. Out of reflex, she looked to the side. Sendai. She was saying something. Whatever it was, it had to wait.

An attempt to rip her arm out of the cruiser's grasp failed. She pulled harder, her fury slowly spilling towards the unruly brat. If she doesn't-

It took her a heartbeat too long to register Sendai's other hand's trajectory. She barely felt the slap - but it threw her off balance just enough to let the other girl's words through:

"-op it! Ashigara, stop it!"

 _Stop what…?_ she thought, seeing the Princess slowly back off, the floaters coming back to her safety. She tried to push Sendai away - in vain.

"The Abyssals have called in for reinforcements! They'll be here soon, we can't-"

"Of course we can!" the Wolf roared, finally freeing her arm from Sendai's grasp. "If **you** can't **I** will, while you take Nachi out of-"

"No use"

She started to hate that voice.

"What do you…!?" she spun, the sight making her heart stop.

Nachi's mutilated body was already half-sunk, the Abyssal battleship nowhere in sight. The only thing keeping her sister afloat was Kaga, her hand gripping Nachi's wrist. The mixture of blood, oil and ichor soaked her outfit.

"She is gone, Ashigara-san" she finally said, letting Nachi go. The body sank fast, before Ashigara could even try to grab the palm disappearing beneath the waves. "And so will be all of us, if you don't accept the reality and help with the evacuation"

The Wolf fell to her knees, trying to reach out into the abyss, hoping to catch her sister's hand. All the rage, all the fury seeped out of her mind, leaving nothing behind. Only vast emptiness, hollow and boundless like the ocean around her.


	7. VII - Okada

**VII  
Okada**

 _Fleet returning. Prepare the docks. Urgent repairs for numerous vessels required. Loss of life._

That was the whole report, a narrow strip spit out by the teleprinter. Once smooth and clean, the paper was already bent and torn in many places, folded and unfolded countless times during the past few hours.

Walking back and forth along the breakwater, admiral Okada gazed upon the horizon, awaiting the fleet's return. He hoped for a mistake. The signal picked up from Kaga was weak, her transmitter was clearly damaged. At least half of the message had to be reconstructed from individual syllabes. Such defeat was unthinkable. Yes, there had to be a mistake. It was just... improbable.

But when the first silhouette appeared where the sea meets the sky, he knew something was off. The closer the shipgirls got, the more obvious the scale of what had happened became.

Kaga and Akagi supported each other, both scorched and bruised. Ryuujou was no better, her scroll missing and nowhere to be seen. Other girls also bore signs of combat damage and fatigue, barely capable of keeping their course straight. Only the support squadron, safe from the immediate heat of battle, seemed more or less intact, although they also seemed deadly exhausted. Even Suzukaze and Sendai, usually bottomless wells of joy and energy, barely dragged their feet.

Okada walked down the concrete steps and ran towards the docks' entrance, as the fleet slowly entered their safe haven. Inazuma, Akatsuki, Tanikaze, Ikazuchi, Jintsuu and Tenryuu scrambled, towing their comrades into the pen, dismantling mangled remnants of what used to be their rigging. The admiral's gaze jumped from one shipgirl to another, hoping to prove the last part of the message to be false.

It wasn't.

He met Ashigara's dead, empty look. The cruiser suddenly stopped, pushing away Tenryuu's helping hand. Her stride stiff and automatic, she approached the closest of emergency ladders lining the harbour - and started climbing. Her rigging creaked and moaned, ladder's overloaded bars could rip from their concrete attachments at any moment - but she pulled up, ultimately reaching the top. It was obvious every move meant unnecessary pain for her exhausted body - but she did not relent. Each step heavy and on the brink of tripping over, she made her way towards the admiral.

At first Okada thought she didn't even register his presence, hollow eyes looking straight through his body. But then her fist connected with his face, the movement shockingly fluid and fast compared to her stride.

Bitter taste of blood filled his mouth, as the sheer force of impact sent him hurling to the ground good three meters behind. Not saying a word, Ashigara aimed her guns and grabbed the trigger. Blown up or straight out missing, her turrets did not respond - but in her state she didn't seem to care. Half surprised that the salvo never came, she just walked up to the stunned commander, rising him effortlessly into air.

"You..." she said, her dry voice barely getting out of scorched throat. "...it's all your fault, you... YOU MONSTER!"

Her words turned into a banshee's screech, as she threw him back to the ground, warship's unimaginable power applied against a mere human being. Before she could do anything more though, Shouhou grabbed her from behind, immobilizing the frenzied cruiser.

"HE LET HER DIE! HE KNEW SHE WOULD FOLLOW ORDERS NO MATTER WHAT, HE-"

Her voice once again broke into a series of incomprehensible shrieks of pure fury and hate, chasing Okada's fading consciousness into darkness.

There, drowning in a bottomless infinity, a pair of eyes - desperate and terrified beyond any measure - looked beggingly at him, as wave after wave of murky, dark water covered them, drowning the lost soul forever.

* * *

Dawning sun rose above Raiushima base, bathing the complex in golden light. The vast ocean sparkled joyfully, each wave a shining gem in the infinite plain surrounding the island. Budding morning banished the shadows, and soon first shipgirls emerged from their dorms for daily exercises, lessons and training. Nighttime expeditions returned. Sendai's night class left the docks and headed for a well deserved rest. The base switched to daytime life gradually and collectively, like a giant clockwork changing its gear.

Only a trained eye could have noticed missing fragments in the pattern.

From his office, Okada saw the base's plaza. Normally lively and teeming with excited destroyers and cruisers, the square was still crowded - but silent and gloomy in a way that had nothing to do with the cold and windy aura winter brought. Away from their groups, Hibiki and Suzukaze conversed for a while, before parting ways. There was some uneasiness in the way they spoke, as if neither really wanted that conversation to happen - but at the same time felt obliged to have it.

At the base of the longest pier, Sendai debriefed and dismissed her squadron - but did not return to her dorms as usual. Instead, she slowly walked all the way to the molo's end, her gaze glued to the distant horizon. She watched as grey clouds built up, obscuring the sun and choking the brief spell of morning light. She stood there for over an hour, returning only upon worried Jintsuu's intervention.

Myokou, usually on her way to the Academy at that time of the day, was nowhere to be seen. In fact, none of her sisters left the cruiser's dorm since the sun rose above the horizon. He did not oppose when they asked for an indefinite leave of absence from teaching. It was more of a moral obligation than anything else.

Pain radiating from immobilized arm and pulsing in his broken jaw was the mildest punishment he received. It paled in comparison with all the other consequences. Just like the letter from Fleet Command - congratulating him on 'defeating' the Princess and at the same time informing that in face of 'unexpected losses' the US Navy takes over protecting the Ulithi atoll - was nothing compared to Kaga's mission report.

There was irony in that. During old wars, losing a ship was rarely a devastating blow to the fleet as a whole. As long as there were shipyards to build new vessels and crews to man them, it was all about rational calculations. Gain more than you lose, do not overextend. He knew all that theory too well. Damn, it was thanks to his degree in naval history that he was picked as the commander here, on Raiushima. It was hoped that this knowledge would help build rapport with shipgirls. Make them feel more comfortable in the world strange to them.

And yet all that theory crumbled in face of a simple fact; whoever the shipgirls actually were, one thing was sure - they were not _just_ ships. In his pride and overconfidence, he forgot about that piece of information. "At any cost" and "by all means necessary" - those phrases fit well in orders meant for regular fleets, where captains knew they risked the lives of their crew. They knew their boundaries all too well. But shipgirls had only their own existence to gamble with. Sacrificing oneself to save others always seems to be an acceptable price to pay - especially for someone as honourable and dutiful as Nachi.

And this brought him to that point. An overconfident commander gave out and order a dutiful shipgirl could not ignore.

First drops of cold, winter rain woke him up from that distant daydream. The tapping grew louder and louder, forcing the few shipgirls still outside to seek cover. He walked away from the window, grabbing his coat. After making sure one thing is secure in its pocket, he opened the door the left the office.

The deed was done. And as much as he hated thinking this way, all that was left was damage control.

* * *

The cruisers' dorm was a two storey building, neighbouring the Academy. Okada passed the entrance door, entering the common space occupying the majority of ground floor. Sofas surrounding a large table were almost empty, only Kako dozing off in her favourite spot. Only while later he noticed Kiso and Tama, occupying a pair of armchairs in the corner, discussing something quietly. He returned their salute before proceeding upstairs, where private rooms were located.

Myokous' was right in front of the stairs. Cap in his hands, he took a deep breath and knocked at the door.

They opened after a while, Myokou herself answering. Her brows rose a bit at the sight, but expression remained neutral. Too neutral to be natural, even for her.

"Commander"

This was neither a question, nor a greeting. A statement of fact.

"May I ask for your time?"

Without saying a word, the cruiser stepped aside, letting him in.

Apart from them, only Ashigara sat in the living room. A row of empty bottles lined the wall next to the Wolf. Another, almost empty one, sloshed in her hand. She did her best not to notice Okada's presence, instead meticulously pouring another portion to a cup in front of her. Rain banged furiously against the windows, its rhythmic tap beating like a drum.

In a corner stood a makeshift shrine - basically a small table, with Nachi's photograph in an ornamental frame. A couple of burnt-out incense sticks surrounded it, in front stood three paper cranes. Between them stood the only thing that seemed - but only seemed, if anyone knew Nachi well enough - out of place; a cup of sake.

The cruiser in the photograph smiled widely, embracing her sisters. He recognized the scene; it was just after Myokou left Akashi's yard after finally arriving at Raiushima. A most joyful day, a reunion of siblings after decades of separation.

"Please, take a seat" Myokou pointed at the tea table, the pristine white of her kimono blinding against the room's greens. "How can we help you?" she added after they both sat down, taking the opposite sides.

The emphasis she put on "we" made Ashigara stir.

"He can start by getting the fuck outta here" she spat out, her voice just slightly slurred by the amount of booze she consumed.

"Nee-chan" Myokou's voice sounded flat, by no means scolding. Her cold indifference sent shivers down Okada's spine.

It took him more time and effort than he wished to force the words out:

"Is... Is Haguro-san home?"

"Nee-chan's in 'er room and if you-"

"I will ask her to come"

Myokou stood up and walked over to the bedroom. A minute or so later, Haguro joined them. Her puffy eyes and red cheeks told the story Okada never wished to read. Sitting there, between Ashigara's slashing glare, Myokou's scorching ice and Haguro's despair was overwhelming and soul cruhing. Yet there was no backing down. His feelings were of no importance. He was the culprit here.

He cleared his throat one last time.

"I am not to ask for forgiveness..." he started.

"Damn good you ain't, because I'm not gonna give you any"

The silence coming from Myokou was all too clear.

"...instead, I come with a proposition"

He pulled out a folded piece of paper from his coat's pocket, opened it and put on the table in front of the shipgirls. Myokou and Haguro leaned over, while Ashigara remained under the wall, glaring menacingly.

"Is that... our base?" asked Haguro, pointing at a spot near the edge of the sheet.

"Yes. That is the edge of Raiushima complex. This is a map of the Kaminayama. And here..." he pointed to a small clearing marked on the mountain's slope, less than a kilometre from the base's outskirts "...is a place where an ancient shrine used to be before the island was adapted as a naval installation. It's currently overgrown and abandoned, but can be easily reconstructed. I-"

"Hold on a second, admiral..." Ashigara jolted up, throwing an emptied cup to the floor, smashing it to bits "...I see where this is going! You want to use our sister, our late onee-san you murdered, to boost your ego, right?! Oh look at me, I am so moved and touched by my mistake I ordered a shrine to be build in her honour! Right? I'm right, am I not?! Huh?! TELL ME!"

He shuddered when Ashigara's accusing finger stopped mere inches in front of his face. He couldn't stand the flaming glare for long; he just dropped his gaze to the map and continued:

"No. This shrine shall not be dedicated to Nachi. Not in particular. I do not dare usurp her memory this way"

"So what do you propose?"

He was so glad Myokou retook the initiative.

"A shrine to honour all who are not among us. The fairy pilots who gave their lives. Nachi. Nagato, Yamato, Hiryuu... All those who have not returned yet.

He took deep breath before continuing. He was never good at planning out speeches. Especially when they crumbled after the second or third sentence was spoken. The part he was about to say was supposed to sound completely different.

"But yes, Ashigara-san, you are right about one thing. I want this for my ego. To be reminded constantly of my fuckups, so that no one else will suffer Nachi's fate, especially under my command. To make sure it will never bloat again and become a danger to anyone here. Does this sound better to you?"

The Wolf blinked twice, surprised by his retort. Neither of two other Myokous spoke.

"I have asked Ryuujou to examine the site. It's 'appropriate', according to her words. Jun'you and Hiyou also agreed to look after the shrine once it gets renovated. I know this is next to nothing, but I sincerely can't think of a better way to honour Nachi"

The silence was only disturbed by the constant rattle of rain. He wished he could peer inside the cruisers' thoughts, get a glance of what was happening there. Seconds dragged on into infinity.

"We need... some time to think" finally spoke Myokou.

"Understood" he stood up and took a deep bow. "Thank you for your time. I shall disturb you no more"

Approaching the door, he thought of something to say. An apology would sound too simple and... did not seem appropriate. Not at this point. Ashigara already denied him any forgiveness. Whatever he came up with, sounded foolish or too simple to be worth uttering.

Eventually all he did was a short exchange of glances as Haguro closed the door behind him. A singe look into her bloodshot eyes said more than a thousand words. And that story made him wish he could peer into Ashigara's hateful eyes. Anger was easy to face. In front of Haguro's sorrow, he felt powerless. Guilty. It left him no way to defend himself.

Outside, the rain continued to pour, the ocean barely visible thorough the shifting courtain.


End file.
